Get Your Flu Vaccine While the Sun Still Shines

Get Your Flu Vaccine While the Sun Still Shines

Basking in the Bay of Plenty sunshine makes it hard to imagine winter flu season will ever come. But in just a few months, some people will be bedridden, gravely ill and some may even die from seasonal influenza.

Now is the time to book your seasonal influenza vaccination appointment, according to Bay of Plenty Medical Officer of Health Jim Miller. “From experience in the Northern Hemisphere, it is believed the flu season may arrive earlier than usual this year and we want people to be prepared.”

In six weeks the seasonal influenza vaccination, which includes protection against three strains of influenza; pandemic H1N1 and the two most common seasonal strains for 2010, will be available at GP practices and health centres.

In addition to the seasonal influenza vaccine, this year, the Ministry of Health is offering an ‘early protection’ vaccine against pandemic H1N1influenza to people specifically at risk from the pandemic strain.

This includes children under five years who belong to specific general practices amongst others such as pregnant women.

It is also being offered to frontline health care workers who are in contact with these vulnerable groups.

Unlike the seasonal vaccine, the ‘early protection’ vaccine must be given in two doses to all age groups, the first of which needs to be administered before 19 February.

“There is limited stock of the pandemic H1N1 vaccine available, so only those prioritised by the Ministry of Health are eligible to receive it,” says Dr Miller.

He says people need to start making plans to receive the important immunisation as New Zealand prepares for a predicted ‘second wave’ of the H1N1 pandemic.

“As always, there are certain groups of people who are more vulnerable to influenza and get the most benefit from the vaccine. The people most at risk of severe illness and complications from seasonal influenza include the very young, the elderly, and people with certain medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease.”

“The pandemic strain also carries increased risk for pregnant women, morbidly obese people and those aged under 65 years with chronic medical conditions,” he says.

People who are eligible for the ‘early protection’ pandemic H1N1 vaccine should talk with their GP, practice nurse or midwife.

“However, it’s extremely important that as many people as possible get the seasonal influenza vaccine that contains protection against pandemic H1N1 and seasonal strains when it arrives in March.”

People who are eligible for the free early bird monovalent pandemic vaccine:

• People under 65 years of age (including children) with certain conditions (as for seasonal influenza)
• Pregnant women (if they are infected by influenza, pregnant women are more likely to develop severe illness or complications compared with women who are not pregnant; the infection may also put the foetus and the newborn at risk)
• People who are morbidly obese
• All children aged from six months to their fifth birthday enrolled in designated general practices that have high proportions of people who are Maori, Pacific and/or from high deprivation areas
• In addition the vaccine is being offered to frontline healthcare workers - staff in general practice, emergency departments, intensive care units and those who may have direct contact with at-risk patients. NB: Individuals 65 years and older are not expected to be at higher risk from pandemic H1N1 influenza as they are likely to have some pre-existing immunity, and so are not included in this eligibility list

The ‘certain’ medical conditions (as mentioned above)

• Cardiovascular disease (ischaemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and cerebrovascular disease)
• Chronic respiratory disease (asthma if on regular preventive therapy; other chronic respiratory disease with impaired lung function)
• Diabetes
• Chronic renal disease
• Any cancer, excluding basal and squamous skin cancers if not invasive
• Other conditions (autoimmune disease, immune suppression, HIV, transplant recipients, neuromuscular and central nervous system disease, haemaglobinopathies, children on long term aspirin)

For more information on the ‘early protection pandemic H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccines, or general information about influenza, visit www.moh.govt.nz/influenza or call 0800 IMMUNE (468663).

ENDS

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